THE PRESS. TUESDAY, JULY 28, 1970. Arts And Music Australian Will Produce ‘Faust ’

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32360, 28 July 1970, Page 12

THE PRESS. TUESDAY, JULY 28, 1970.

Arts And Music Australian Will Produce ‘Faust ’

One of Australia’s top drama directors, Tom Brown, whose production of “The Masked Ball” was a highlight of the Australian Opera 1969 season, will produce “Faust” for the New Zealand Opera Company. The opera’s tour is to open next month in Wellington. Mr Brown became interested in theatre while studying engineering at the Adelaide University, became closely associated with the University Theatre Guild and studied ballet After ballet, study at' the Marie Rambert School, London, he joined the production staff of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, as a student observer.

After joining the St James Ballet as Assistant Director and dancer Mr Brown was awarded a scholarship to study at the Old Vic Theatre where he was appointed stage director, touring England and South Africa with the Old Vic Company. Later, Mr Brown became assistant to Sir Tyrone Guthrie as productions manager, opera producer and choreographer at the Strat-

ford Shakespearian Festival in Ontario, Canada. While in Canada he spent two years helping to design a revolutionary new theatre which became world famous as the Stratford Theatre, in Ontario.

During the construction period he was theatre consuFtant to the architect and committee and, on completion of the theatre, he was appointed assistant artistic director for five seasons of drama, music, art and film festivals.

In his capacity as theatre consultant and adviser, Mr Brown has been associated with such projects as the opera staging retained by the Ford Foundation in Trinidad, the O'Keefe Centre, Toronto, and the United States Board of Standards for Theatre Planning, and the Lincoln Centre.

On his return to Australia Mr Brown became opera manager for the Elizabethan Theatre Trust and produced “Madam Butterfly.” After his appointment as director of the National Institute of Dramatic Art and director of the Old Tote Theatre, Mr Brown was responsible for numerous major productions in Australia. He has been appointed to act as theatre consultant for the performing arts of the Victorian Arts Centre and the Adelaide Festival Theatre.